By Harry Mottram: There are hopes for 2026 to be a great year for the city – Bath Rugby to win all competitions, Bath City FC to get promoted and Cleveland Pools to finally reopen. OK – that last one may be a hope too many – but what we do know is there won’t be any elections this year.
The next elections for Bath and North East Somerset Council aren’t scheduled until May 2027, with the election of a Metro Mayor the year after when there may or may not be a General Election.
There are however several events which will take place this year in Bath including on March 11, The Bath & North East Somerset Business Show at the Guildhall, Holocaust Memorial Day a free public event at The Guildhall in Bath on Tuesday, January 27, Bath Bachfest (February 19-21), Bath Carnival (July 11) and the Jane Austen Festival (September 11-20). Plus of course work starting on the new Bath Rugby stadium.
Looking back at 2025 quite a lot has happened with the council enjoying a period of stability with its majority. It was able to put in new Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, more cycle paths and saw pollution fall with the introduction of the clean air zone which has also seen thousands of pounds from fines pour into the city’s coffers.
There was the end of the 131 year history of Combe Down Allotments when the landlord failed to renew the lease seeing the gardeners forced to leave despite a long campaign to save the green space.
It was one of the most commented stories for Bath Voice and most read on the website. The only other story to top it was the campaign by Bath Rugby to gain planning permission for the new stadium on the Recreation Ground. It created a huge amount of emotions on both sides – the Friends of the Rec pointing out it was a private company wanting to build on a public park and thus deny access to part of the park to the public – while on the pro side thousands of people pack the stadium for games and even more come to the city to boost the economy. And there is no doubting the pride the team has brought to the city and region since Bath Rugby are arguably the best team in England as we enter 2026.
The old year saw politics mainly on a national level with opinion polls suggesting Reform were enjoying wide support but at the Lyncombe byelection they failed to make an impression. Some pundits predict that 2026 will see the Conservatives recover some ground after their near collapse – it was not so long ago they dominated politics here.
The city’s Green Group have been making waves – and have been an effective opposition to the Lib Dem controlled council. Whether Labour also make a comeback remains to be seen – but unless there’s a surprise General Election politics looks set to stay out of the headlines this year in Bath.
One politician who is very active in Bath is the MP Wera Hobhouse. She sends numerous messages to Bath Voice every week about her championing of causes and policies both here and in Westminster which are often supported by politicians of other parties – thus creating a consensus on issues such as Special Educational Needs provision and women’s health.
Last year saw some of the half sunk narrow boats removed from the River Avon – at great cost – a cost the council hopes to reclaim from the owners. And the council also has been spending money on increasing the numbers of affordable housing locally. Only 14% of the housing stock in Bath is social housing – lower than the national average of 17%.
They plan 58 new affordable homes at the former Argyle Works development at a price of £12m. Whatever the cost few will disagree that they are not needed with the continued increase in HMOs eating away the numbers of properties that young families or couples can afford to buy or rent.
Bath does have a housing crisis as low cost homes are needed for the army of workers who travel into the city centre to work in the shops and businesses every day. With the decrease in homes an average waged worker can afford many people have no choice but to seek somewhere to live further and further out from the centre. And I haven’t mentioned the huge numbers of students – not just those in Bath – but Bristol students who occupy properties here. The only solution it seems is to build more homes – which won’t please everyone – especially those next to Tufa Field off Englishcombe Lane where supportive homes for those with complex health issues are set to be constructed.
The Council took two firms to court over making unauthorised changes to a Grade 1 listed property in Wood Street last year. Few would disagree over fining firms for damaging Georgian buildings but it does raise the question of what should be preserved from this or last century. Passions were raised over plans to knock down a brutalist 1960s church in Bathwick and the 1930s fire station.
Planning stories have always been hot topics for local newspapers and I’m sure they will continue to be so in 2026.
Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters
The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
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